Gruesome

9:30 PM

Gabriel chucked his homemade spear to the ground, as it was useless. He had seen too many monster movies and thought that he needed a weapon.

He already was a walking, talking, and breathing one himself.

Gabriel no longer was as scared as he initially was. Since he could shoot hot bullets from far away, none of the monsters could get close to him. Instead, he was focused on getting out.

He walked through the main building and heard whispers. People were behind classroom doors and closest, but none of them would open up for him. People were too afraid.

Gabriel didn’t blame them.

With his hands, he illuminated the old wooden hallways, the shadows elongated and eerie. He felt like they were leering at him, waiting for him to trip and fall so they could drag him into the dark.

While walking past the Language Department, Gabriel heard voices. Loud ones. Careful not to make a noise, he tiptoed and peered down the corner. Gabriel quickly looked away and pressed his body against the wall. He extinguished his light and tried to make himself as small as possible.

He had seen a few corpses, but that was nothing new. What was different however was that they were being torn apart by another student.

With inhuman strength, Coco Labelle split them in half. It was too easy for her, as she simply opened a portal where they stood.

Coco, like Ace, had a Four Star Evolutionary Ability of Teleportation. Unlike Ace, hers evolved to be able to create physical portals. Coco blinked rapidly, creating multiple portals where her next victim stood.

She was Coco’s best friend, Ana.

The portals all glowed maroon like her eyes, and they sliced down the poor girl's body vertically, splitting her into many pieces like meat at a deli. Freshly sliced she let out a shudder and fell to the ground.

Coco then next turned her gaze to Dexter. The one she couldn’t get. He was too crafty for her.

He stood at the far side of the hallway, eyes twitching, unable to keep his ability up for much longer. Ana had strayed too far from Dexter, and she paid the price.

Gabriel listened to their conversation in the dark, trembling as he learned the true cause of the massacre that had gone on for the past three hours.

“Why can’t I kill you,” Coco asked. “What are you doing?”

She took a few steps towards Dexter, and he walked backward, his eyes never leaving her.

“Go away,” Dexter shouted.

“I want what you have,” Coco whispered. “Come quietly and you can leave Adamh with us.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you Coco! What have you done?”

“I am not Coco. I’m Gruesome.My siblings have come for you meatsuits, and if your power doesn’t meet what we need, then I’ll eviscerate you.”

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Gabriel covered his mouth and squatted on the floor. He tried not to cry, but the tears came out anyway. Again he was afraid, and he worried what would happen to the poor young man down the hallway.

He tried to come up with a plan to get the both of them out alive, but Gabriel didn’t want to call attention to himself and die while trying to be a hero.

“Why do you silly demigods and halflings try so hard to be good,” Gruesome mumbled. “You are born liars, born in sin and blood. You are like us.”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dexter said.

“Of course you don’t,” Gruesome sighed. She rolled her eyes and tried to get closer to Dexter, but he continued to walk back with every step she took forward.

"Tell me why I can't kill you or else I'll kill you," she bellowed.

The ridiculous statement went right over her head.

Her voice shook the lockers and clattered the doors like teeth, knocking against the doors and scraping the wooden floors.

Dexter knew that if he didn’t say anything she would find a way to kill him. He hoped that if he said the truth then she wouldn’t, and he would get to walk free.

“I have Power Negation and Amplification,” Dexter said. “Within a certain distance, I can stop anyone’s abilities or make them stronger.”

Gruesome closed her eyes and smiled. Black tar seeped out of her mouth and dribbled down her chin and onto her cheerleader costume. “I want to be inside of you,” Gruesome groaned. “Don’t fight it.”

She laughed, as she slowly approached Dexter and he started to run. Gruesome made many portals in front of him, but as Dexter got close they evaporated, and she screamed in frustration.

Gabriel chased them from afar, keeping his distance, wondering how he could help Dexter. However, Dexter had a better chance of living on his own without Gabriel who wasn’t immune to Gruesome’s ability.

They continued to chase each other through the halls, and Dexter slipped on the bloody floor, losing his focus, and he stopped using his power. He slid into a portal, that thankfully wasn’t vertical, and he came out on the other side next to Gruesome.

She grabbed him by the arm and hissed, the sound of a snake coming out of her mouth. Her iris’ changed shape, and long horns sprouted up from her skull, black from her monstrous blood.

A crown of death dripped down her forehead as she squeezed down onto his arm, making Dexter cry out in pain.

“God has abandoned the seventh realm. Don’t try to-”

Gruesome fell over as Dexter used his ability again. She was no longer supported by Deceit and Dexter’s negation had saved his life.

Gabriel turned the corner and saw what he had done.

“You’re amazing,” he exclaimed. “We should stay together! We can make it out of here!”

“How do I know you’re not one of them? Coco was my friend and she killed us all,” he screamed.

“I’m not-”

“Do you have black blood,” Dexter screamed. “Show it to me!”

His eyes flashed gold and he approached Gabriel. Gabriel ran off into the distance, his life being more important than his need to be a hero.

He ran in the dark until he hit a wall and fell to the ground. He quickly scrambled up, blood all over his face and his good church clothes. Gabriel sniffled in the dark and tried his hardest to not believe a word she had said.

God has not abandoned us. He never would.

Gabriel’s faith wavered as he sat alone, covered in the blood of his dead classmates, friends, and teachers.

God is just testing me. I will not fail this test. I will not die.